[SpaceProgram] Request: accountability frameworks for makerspace governance?

Sat May 28 15:01:47 CEST 2016

using blockchains for internal expenditure tracking would be interesting.

On Sat, May 28, 2016 at 2:31 AM, Michael Turner <
michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:

> "Every iota of every fund was tracked."
>
> Really?  So that satellite simulator software project -- somewhere, there
> are timesheets with hours logged, for the $20,000 open-source project with
> no code checked in anywhere I can find?
>
> "The reporting requirements exceeded the value of the contract by an
> order of magnitude."
>
> "Order of magnitude" = 10x. You're saying it would have cost $5 million to
> meet the costs of the requirements reporting for spending $500,000?
>
> "I didn't have the balls to quit my job to run it."
>
> At various times, you've told us that you did all the work, that Jerry
> ended up with all of it, that you finally gave it all to an unnamed friend
> who used to work at DARPA (hm, we have to add revolving doors to our
> suspicions?)
>
> I see spreadsheets shared to me that had 4 full-time-equivalent salaries
> budgeted. $16,000 per month for those. As someone who has been his own main
> donor, and who has funded it all out of a day job, and has only able to eke
> out a bit of progress now and then, I'd probably strangle my own mother to
> have a situation where I'd have that much freedom to allocate that much
> money, while on salary for two years.
>
> "Jerry felt like he had liability so he saw making decisions with no
> group input as necessary to his financial well being."
>
> Very interesting way to put it. And how is his financial well-being these
> days? Any nice new equipment at Maui Makers? Any investments in Maui
> beachfront property?
>
> Regards,
> Michael Turner
> Executive Director
> Project Persephone
> K-1 bldg 3F
> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
> turner at projectpersephone.org
> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>
> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward
> together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>
> On Sat, May 28, 2016 at 12:28 PM, cole santos <cksantos85 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Every iota of every fund was tracked. Im sure some accountant has it
>> somewhere. Its why i didn't get all our projects funding(most didnt). The
>> reporting requirements exceeded the value of the contract by an order of
>> magnitude. In almost all cases each project bit off more than it could chew
>> with funds avail. On the admin side, I got this grant funded under a
>> friends lcc because no one else could get it done. I didn't have the balls
>> to quit my job to run it. So I pushed it on the founder of our local
>> makerspace. For better or worse he didnt really want to do it, saw it as a
>> burdensome thing. Because of that they did not spend the money to create a
>> lasting program. The whole thing was very complicated in the beginning, but
>> once the contract was awarded to a sole proprietorship, the mojo flew out
>> the door. Jerry felt like he had liability so he saw making decisions with
>> no group input as necessary to his financial well being. Most likely scared
>> of being sued by disgruntled makers who complain alot...
>>
>> On Thu, May 26, 2016 at 5:14 PM, Michael Turner <
>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> "I don't necessarily subscribe to Michael's statement "every iota of
>>> effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending can
>>> be recorded"."
>>>
>>> Let me be literal: "Can be" is not "will be" or "must be". It's just the
>>> capability. Used to the degree that's called for.
>>>
>>> And here's what that literal requirement came out of, more so than the
>>> SpaceGAMBIT debacle: going to Kenya on a mission to set up a hacking-themed
>>> non-profit. You know, Kenya? Where corruption is a way of life? The high
>>> life, for the big winners of that game?
>>>
>>> I went to Kenya with an idea in mind: femtosatellites that can now be
>>> built for around $100 in parts cost could be great educational tools for
>>> getting kids excited about "bare-metal programming", instrumentation and
>>> electronics generally. With only ~$10,000, I might supply 100 East African
>>> schools with an actual spacecraft. (Stretching the definition of spacecraft
>>> a little.) I even brought along a KickSat Sprite development kit to
>>> demonstrate to people. I had plans to make 20 more kits back home, kits I'd
>>> need put together myself, for $2,000 in fab costs and parts.
>>>
>>> But I also went to dip a toe in the water. What would it really be like,
>>> trying to do that? I didn't want it to be one-time-only. I didn't want it
>>> to be fire-and-forget. I wanted to build an organization there. I had
>>> longer-term goals, going beyond these femtosats. And that meant figuring
>>> out how to keep the money coming.
>>>
>>> Before I went, I spoke about my plans with a guy here in Tokyo who'd
>>> been to Kenya several times in search of organizations to fund -- and in
>>> particular, to learn how to responsibly spend the donations he was
>>> collecting from members of his Tokyo society. I told him what I wanted to
>>> do. He just looked at me, furrowed his brow, and said nothing.
>>>
>>> I came back from Kenya with quite a few stories. I told him these
>>> stories. He nodded. He said, "I met with over 100 non-profits and
>>> community-based organizations in Kenya. I found only five I felt I could
>>> trust."
>>>
>>> This was demoralizing -- so far beyond my own merely-anecdotal evidence
>>> that I couldn't deny what the major challenge was: becoming tightfisted,
>>> suspicious, and controlling. It's not my nature. But I am software
>>> engineer. (Or was.) Could it be automated to any degree?
>>>
>>> And there was hope, suddenly: I exchanged email with a Kenyan database
>>> analyst and admin who'd done work for such organizations. She said the ones
>>> that managed to not piss off and alienate donors -- the ones that could
>>> survive and execute on a strategy that amounted to more than just finding
>>> yet another one of those donors that's born every minute -- were the ones
>>> that installed down-to-the-penny accounting systems and
>>> down-to-the-half-hour accountability frameworks.
>>>
>>> I want a framework that CAN scale down to the resolution of a penny
>>> because, in places where pennies matter, there are always people who will
>>> try to rob you of them. And if you lose a significant amount of money to
>>> internal corruption, enough to think of taking the theft to court, well,
>>> good luck with that. Because then you're up against /external/ corruption.
>>> The judge is always the thief's nephew's best friend's father-in-law's
>>> uncle, or else can be had for a bribe.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Michael Turner
>>> Executive Director
>>> Project Persephone
>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>
>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward
>>> together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>
>>> On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 8:53 AM, Paul Szymkowiak <paulszym at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Having been involved in the "hackerspace space program" and the
>>>> subsequent "Space GAMBIT" projects being discussed here from the beginning,
>>>> and also having been a moderator for previous interactions Michael Turner
>>>> has had on mailing lists associated with these efforts, I'd like to add a
>>>> few comments.
>>>>
>>>> Sam, I have also worked with a number of philanthropist groups, and I
>>>> agree it is possible - for certain types of projects in certain contexts -
>>>> to remain focused on an outcome and operate predominantly on trust.
>>>> However, I would argue that this often relies on existing organisational
>>>> structures and constitutions, either implicit or explicit, and that scaling
>>>> this is possible but often problematic (in my experience, most cases fail).
>>>>
>>>> In the case of Space GAMBIT, we attempted to form a globally operating
>>>> entity (or network of) based on a significant founding grant under a highly
>>>> regulated set of industry rules and regulations. I think that makes this
>>>> context significantly different and the associated problems much more
>>>> wicked. If we're to contemplate further space-program efforts within the
>>>> global maker & hacker hobbyist communities, we need to learn from the
>>>> mistakes made here and find a better way forward.
>>>>
>>>> I think Michael's request to discuss accountability frameworks is a
>>>> completely reasonable proposal, and in light of the serious failings in the
>>>> execution of the Space GAMBIT effort, completely justified. In the past,
>>>> I've critiqued Michael for personal attacks, but I'm not seeing that in
>>>> this case: I'm seeing what I consider quite reasonable critique: and given
>>>> that I'm one of the people that critique is directed at, I welcome it.
>>>>
>>>> From my perspective, Michael's request is an important and valid one in
>>>> the light of Space GAMBIT, and so-far I haven't seen anything in the way of
>>>> constructive response. Does that mean that no such accountability
>>>> framework(s) exist in the hacker/ maker community, and that we're all
>>>> operating on systems based on good will, trust and personal integrity?
>>>>
>>>> If not, I'd welcome folks sharing their experiences with suitable
>>>> frameworks they've found workable. If so, I'd echo Michael's concern that
>>>> when donors are contributing significant funds, good will, trust and
>>>> personal integrity aren't enough to support such endeavours, and in the
>>>> case of Space GAMBIT, failed horribly. It's completely justifiable and I
>>>> think helpful, to look back on the mistake, critique it and learn from it
>>>> so that we can avoid making it again.
>>>>
>>>> I don't necessarily subscribe to Michael's statement "every iota of
>>>> effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending can
>>>> be recorded". There are various ways in which "every iota" and "every
>>>> penny" might be problematic, however I think the general idea of tracking
>>>> spending, revenue, effort, assets (including intellectual property) is
>>>> completely reasonable - in fact, needed - and there should be ways to do
>>>> this transparently and simply as a natural part of doing work on the
>>>> project.
>>>>
>>>> In some ways, we're looking at how open communities can operate in a
>>>> way true to our ethics and principles, within required legislative
>>>> structures that are arguably based on dated western ideals of
>>>> organisations/ legal entities. We need supporting structures and systems
>>>> that allow us to operate legally and with manageable risk within the
>>>> existing overarching system(s).
>>>>
>>>> If anything, Michael has been somewhat charitable in his critique. When
>>>> Michael says "the dodge took the form of locating all authority over
>>>> spending that $500,000 in a tiny handful of people who operated in a pretty
>>>> opaque fashion", it would be more accurate to say that, once the funding
>>>> landed, "in the hands of a single person".
>>>>
>>>> That was never the intention of the project, went against everything
>>>> the group had specifically worked hard on over many months on the
>>>> grant application, and ultimately destroyed the global collaborative nature
>>>> of the project. Once that occurred, there seemed to be no way back
>>>> from that fatal mistake, and that cast the actions of the individual
>>>> involved in an increasingly negative light. It was easy to paint a picture
>>>> alleging corruption, although I suspect it was predominantly a mix of
>>>> overbearing control-freak personality and personal financial fear.
>>>>
>>>> This is an important community failure that I for one am keen to learn
>>>> from, never repeat, and find better ways of undertaking in the future.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Paul
>>>>
>>>> Paul Szymkowiak
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 27 May 2016 at 08:43, Sam Tobin <sam.tobin at nrsnz.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Diminishing return guys/girls...
>>>>>
>>>>> I've worked on large ESA projects with massive overheads and scrutiny,
>>>>> and on tiny garage-based projects. Accountability, workplans etc are
>>>>> tools... and as always one needs the right tools for the task at hand.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've also worked for a philanthropist group, and (might be unique, but
>>>>> maybe not)... they were mostly interested in outcomes, not details. Simply
>>>>> put, the approach was to trust the person/group, check outcomes, repeat
>>>>> with person/group at larger $ scale if good.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers
>>>>> Sam
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 27 May 2016 at 05:08, Michael Turner <
>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm sure that's been your experience, Matt. Subjectively, it has also
>>>>>> been mine. I've chafed under accountability frameworks in almost every
>>>>>> organization I've ever been in. They've always felt like a "massive,
>>>>>> worthless drain."
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Here's the thing, though: the ones that didn't have them, fell apart.
>>>>>> Sometimes in very embarrassing ways. And one thing I've learned in trying
>>>>>> to work with nonprofits in some parts of the world is that if you ask for
>>>>>> accountability, and get only indignation in response, you're better off
>>>>>> turning away and not bothering with those people ever again. They are on
>>>>>> the take. I don't want to be like them. When potential donors say, "I need
>>>>>> to look at how you spend money," I want to be in a position throw all the
>>>>>> verification at them that they could possibly want, and more. They'll want
>>>>>> to know that the level of parasitism in my organization is acceptably low.
>>>>>> How can I blame them?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Permit a biological metaphor: a fair amount of any creature's
>>>>>> metabolism goes into supporting its immune system. It's a lot. It's a
>>>>>> massive, worthless drain, actually. Until there's an infection, or a
>>>>>> cluster of mutant cells that might turn into a malignant tumor.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking
>>>>>> outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 1:26 AM, Silence Dogood <matt at nycresistor.com
>>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In my experience, working for a space agency, people who are
>>>>>>> interested in "setting up a framework in which every iota of effort
>>>>>>> on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending can be
>>>>>>> recorded."  are usually a massive worthless drain on the project
>>>>>>> and very interested in inserting themselves in places they have no earthly
>>>>>>> business being, just to justify their continued leeching upon the project.
>>>>>>> And, more often then not, they cost more than they benefit anyone... not
>>>>>>> just in fiduciary cost, but in time, complexity, and general nuisance
>>>>>>> factor introduced into the day to day operational workflow of the group
>>>>>>> working on the project.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -Matt
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Thu, May 26, 2016 at 12:13 PM, Michael Turner <
>>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Matt, in my experience of hackerspaces, there's lots of bitter
>>>>>>>> argument by people who aren't contributing much of anything, much of the
>>>>>>>> time. I tried. Eventually, I walked. I contributed time, money, equipment,
>>>>>>>> project ideas ... but ultimately, I walked. I felt pretty alienated by
>>>>>>>> know-it-all attitudes and a kind of knee-jerk anti-authoritarianism that
>>>>>>>> prefers unproductive chaos to reasonable order.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So, again:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm interested in setting up a framework in which every iota of
>>>>>>>> effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending can
>>>>>>>> be recorded. I'm interested in this because I'll need donors at some point,
>>>>>>>> and donors typically require high transparency -- and results. I'd like to
>>>>>>>> hear from makerspace leaders who've been successful at setting up such
>>>>>>>> frameworks.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>>>>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking
>>>>>>>> outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 1:08 AM, Silence Dogood <
>>>>>>>> matt at nycresistor.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> In open source, committers walk and everyone else talks... and is
>>>>>>>>> promptly ignored.  If you think something can be done better, do it
>>>>>>>>> better.  Leadership is an act of demonstrating a better path forward.
>>>>>>>>> Decrying folks is not productive.  We know success when we see it,
>>>>>>>>> everything else is just more of the same.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So, stop bitching, and go make a difference.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> -Matt
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Thu, May 26, 2016 at 12:03 PM, Michael Turner <
>>>>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> "You have to admit, Michael, that nearly every email you've sent has
>>>>>>>>>> been a slash and burn."
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I'm destructive? What's more destructive: criticism of
>>>>>>>>>> corruption, or corruption?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>>>>>>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking
>>>>>>>>>> outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 12:57 AM, David <ainut at hiwaay.net> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> You have to admit, Michael, that nearly every email you've sent
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On 05/18/2016 11:02 AM, cole santos wrote:has been a slash and
>>>>>>>>>>> burn.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> David Merchant
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Lol you just don't get it troll
>>>>>>>>>>> On May 18, 2016 1:03 AM, "Michael Turner" <
>>>>>>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> "Mike no one wanted to work with you because of emails like
>>>>>>>>>>>> you just sent."
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I thought there should be more openness and oversight, and so
>>>>>>>>>>>> nobody wanted to work with me? Interesting. I hadn't realized that openness
>>>>>>>>>>>> and oversight were such unpopular things when spending taxpayers money.
>>>>>>>>>>>> Unless, of course, you're a taxpayer. Are you?
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> "Since I wrote the grant, and got the Corp formed, and
>>>>>>>>>>>> followed through until the project start, I think it's ok moraly."
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I always assumed an education in philosophy would acquaint a
>>>>>>>>>>>> person with the difference between morals and ethics. You learn something
>>>>>>>>>>>> every day, I guess.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>>>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>>>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682 <%2B81%20%2890%29%205203-8682>
>>>>>>>>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking
>>>>>>>>>>>> outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On Wed, May 18, 2016 at 1:48 AM, cole santos <
>>>>>>>>>>>> cksantos85 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mike no one wanted to work with you because of emails like you
>>>>>>>>>>>>> just sent. We are amateurs hacking it. Ps haesh was my project and it was
>>>>>>>>>>>>> somewhat a sweetheart deal. I had to choose between a project or a job.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Since I wrote the grant, and got the Corp formed, and followed through
>>>>>>>>>>>>> until the project start, I think it's ok moraly. The other projects were
>>>>>>>>>>>>> all random submissions. The principal aka jerry got overwhelmed and didn't
>>>>>>>>>>>>> even really want the job. I kinda forced it on him as I had a full time
>>>>>>>>>>>>> job. Reality is not nearly as sensational as u wish.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On May 16, 2016 9:07 PM, "Michael Turner" <
>>>>>>>>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> First things first:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm interested in setting up a framework in which every iota
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> can be recorded. I'm interested in this because I'll need donors at some
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> point, and donors typically require high transparency -- and results. I'd
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> like to hear from makerspace leaders who've been successful at setting up
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> such frameworks.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Now, about the "drama":
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 2:51 AM, gmc < <gmc at hackerspaces.org>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> gmc at hackerspaces.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yay, drama. It's what hackers are best at! Bye bye mailing
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> list.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Clearly, some disillusionment and malaise has set in.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hackerspaces.org? No blog update since just about two years
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ago.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Interesting critique there, though:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://flux.hackerspaces.org/2014/01/19/diversity-and-the-hacker-scene/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Drama will never go away permanently. Sometimes the only way
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to quell drama is with rules.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you're going to have rules, you can try counting on ideas
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> like legitimizing all decisions through the rule of relying on consensus
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (it always breaks down). Or on rules set by some "benevolent oligarchy"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (the "oligarchs" often get tired of arbitration and moderation, and go
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> missing.) There are a variety of other dodges of the basic responsibility
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of collective governance, which is tedious and stressful compared to making
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> things.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In the case of SpaceGAMBIT, the dodge took the form of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> locating all authority over spending that $500,000 in a tiny handful of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> people who operated in a pretty opaque fashion. In at least one case, the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> opacity was defended by a SpaceGAMBIT principal in terms of DARPA's tight
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> regulations about the release of information. When I asked for chapter and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> verse of those regulations, there was no answer. Wait: you're saying you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> got money from a government agency that doesn't tell taxpayers the basis on
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> which it allows awarded organizations to release information about how
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> taxpayer money is being spent? Interesting.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Given the nature of the political differences over taking
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> money from DARPA, I can see a reason for not identifying winning teams when
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the awards went out. It might have been defensible as a way to protect the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> awarded teams from harassment by those who were most loudly opposed to that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> money, and to what any hackerspace group taking that money symbolized to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> them.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The problem was: opacity could enable sweetheart deals.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Waste. Lax controls.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And what do we have at the end?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Examples:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> $20,000 for an open source satellite mission design project
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that apparently never checked anything into a repo.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The HAESH project, which, by some odd coincidence, was based
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in Hawaii. (And apparently on Maui.)That was statistically unlikely,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> especially when you consider that the main SpaceGAMBIT executive exulted at
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> one point about how great it was to work internationally, not just in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> America, and not just in his tiny home region of -- you guessed it --
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hawaii. Maui, in fact.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> How about the thousands of dollars for the open source
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Make-a-Space Kit? It had a laudable goal.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "The goal of this project is to complete the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> content--finalize the entire kit-- and then create a turn-key online
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> template which a new or existing space can use to instantiate the online
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> project management, assign specific tasks to board members, track
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> accountability, and effectively communicate about the status of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> activities as the space is launched and formed."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Where is it? Dead links on the SpaceGAMBIT site. Try to get
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> something back from the Wayback Machine? Unsuccessful.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> How about that Asteroid Badge?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://github.com/CuriosityHacked/Learning/wiki/SpaceAsteroids
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> There's something in there that looks like a rough draft of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Make-a-Space Kit, but certainly nothing that looks "finalized."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thousands of dollars spent on those two projects. And this is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> all there is to show for it?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It's what happens when there's no openness or accountability,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and when money can be spent without significant oversight by a small group
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of people.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So, to repeat my request:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm interested in setting up a framework in which every iota
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> can be recorded. I'm interested in this because I'll need donors at some
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> point, and donors typically require high transparency -- and results. I'd
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> like to hear from makerspace leaders who've been successful at setting up
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> such frameworks.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140 <%2B81%20%283%29%206890-1140>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158 <%2B81%20%283%29%206890-1158>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682 <%2B81%20%2890%29%205203-8682>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> looking outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 16 May 2016 18:26:04 CEST, Michael Turner <
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 12:55 AM, cole santos <
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <cksantos85 at gmail.com>cksantos85 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Actually we took the DarPA money and the project was a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> great success. <http://Www.spacegambit.Com>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Www.spacegambit.Com
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A great success for some people, I suppose.  In a certain
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> sense.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I pick a project at random.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <http://www.spacegambit.org/satstatsim/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.spacegambit.org/satstatsim/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Funding: $20,000
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceGAMBIT claim: only open source projects will be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> funded.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Reality: well, ta! ke a look.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>    <http://satstatsim.blogspot.jp/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://satstatsim.blogspot.jp/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Excuse: "schedules slip". OK, but you can't check in any
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> code, anywhere?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   <https://code.google.com/archive/p/satstatsim/source>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://code.google.com/archive/p/satstatsim/source
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> At least, that's the only repo I could find.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> There's nothing in it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It was largely because of my concerns about openness, clear
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> communication, democratic process, and leadership accountability that I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> decided to have nothing further to do with SpaceGAMBIT. This was after
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> feeling enthusiastic about it and even defending it against what I thought
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> was unfair criticism.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Really, I'd prefer to have been wrong in my suspicions.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140 <%2B81%20%283%29%206890-1140>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158 <%2B81%20%283%29%206890-1158>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682 <%2B81%20%2890%29%205203-8682>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <turner at projectpersephone.org>turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <http://www.projectpersephone.org/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> looking outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Monday, May 16, 2016, Michael P Weber II <
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <michaelweberii at gmail.com>michaelweberii at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 3:05 AM, Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Whether intentional or not, the choice of watercress
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> could be very
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > space-relevant.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (1) Biosphere II saw the direct participation of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> late Roy Walford, MD, a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > pioneer self-experimenter in CRON (calorie restriction
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> with optimal
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > nutrition) as a strategy for life extension. This
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> research interested the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Biosphere II organizers because, in feeding
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> long-duration space mission
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > participants, fewer calories eaten means, to a good
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> first approximation,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > less mass for the ecological life support system,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> leading to lower mission
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > cost, etc.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (2) Research into how CRON appears to increase
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> lifespans (in part by
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > reducing cancer risk -- a big issue in space travel
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> because of space
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > radiation) reveals that it's more about protein
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> restriction than about
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > calorie restriction per se.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (3) Further research has suggested that it's
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> specifically reduction of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > methionine intake that is the main driver of life
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> extension in CRON (hence,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > presumably, lower cancer risk);
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (4) High-glycine diets sop up excess methionine. (To be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> sure: methionine is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > an essential amino acid; glycine is not. But it seems
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that with methionine,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > you can get too much of a good thing.)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (5) Watercress is very high in glycine, quite low in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> methionine. Watercress
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > might be ideal for offsetting the cancer risks from
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> space radiation in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > long-duration space missions.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > I think a good next step in such work would be to try
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to optimize watercress
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > production in an aeroponic rather than a hydroponic
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> style. Hydroponics is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > great, highly productive, but ... water is heavy.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aeroponics can give you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > much of the benefit of hydroponics but with a fraction
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of the equipment
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > mass. Aeroponics should be more adaptable to low-g and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> microgravity
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > environments since it's not gravity-dependent -- it's
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> basically just the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > deposition of nutrient-enriched mist droplets on plant
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> roots. Aeroponics may
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > have gotten its start from NASA funding.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Executive Director
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > <http://www.projectpersephone.org/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> looking outward
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > together in the same direction." -- Antoine de
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 4:35 PM, Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Michael,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Are you going to take over the list then?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing listSpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.orghttp://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ SpaceProgram
>>>>>>>>>>>>> mailing list SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ SpaceProgram
>>>>>>>>>>>> mailing list SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing listSpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.orghttp://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
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>>>
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>
>>
>
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